Crime Scene Cleanup
Crime scene cleaning begins after police release and covers blood, odor and the affected property.
See crime scene cleanupGet blood, bodily fluids, contaminated materials and odor removed after investigators release a home, rental, business or vehicle in Duval County. The cleanup scope is based on where contamination traveled.
Homicide cleanup is a specialized form of crime scene cleanup that removes blood, bodily fluids and other contaminated materials after investigators finish their work and release the property.
The investigation is the responsibility of law enforcement and the medical examiner, not property cleaning. A relative, landlord, owner or other person with authorization can arrange homicide cleaning once officials have released the scene.
This work involves more than an ordinary cleaning service. Technicians identify contamination both in and around the affected space, isolate rooms that were not affected and take out anything that cannot be disinfected. Surfaces that can remain are treated. When requested, the scope also covers insurance company records, hazardous waste packaging and disposal, and odor removal.

Personal property that may be saved is separated so you can discuss it before deciding what needs removal.
Your questions can cover items marked for removal, surfaces to be cleaned, plans for taking waste away and remaining restoration needs.
When discussing the loss with property owners and insurance companies, you can use photos, inventories, scope notes and disposal paperwork.
You may protect privacy by requesting unmarked vehicles and allowing only authorized people into the property during this difficult event.
Homicide cleanup services may be necessary after a violent death affects a rental, vehicle, home or business with blood or biological material. Common circumstances include:
Checks of carpet, insulation, seats and trim determine which materials are cleanable and which require removal.
Blood cleanup may involve a bedroom, living area, hallway and nearby surfaces that were exposed during the event.
Because blood and tissue may affect ceilings, furniture, walls, hidden joints and carpet, every travel path must be located.
Visible blood may continue beneath flooring or behind trim, which makes surface wiping incomplete.
Before technicians enter for cleanup, focus on staying away from exposure, preserving helpful claim details and respecting the active investigation. Your first steps are:
Call (888) 440-9227According to available homicide cleanup cost guides, planning for a violent crime scene uses a published range from $2,500 to $9,000 as guidance. For smaller scenes, they list $2,000 to $6,000 as a planning range, while larger scenes use $3,000 to $10,000 in the same guides. This is not a quote. The assessment sets the final scope.
The figures shown are national ranges from published cost guides and are not based on an on-site visit. An on-site assessment determines your property's price, which is explained to you before the cleanup starts.
Ask about cost: (888) 440-9227A renters, commercial or homeowners policy may cover homicide cleanup costs. The particular policy, nature of the loss and applicable deductible determine coverage.
Find out which waste documents, photographs, item inventories, invoices and scope records the insurance company requires. Keep copies of everything you submit.
Victims of violent crime can ask the Florida Attorney General's Bureau of Victim Compensation about cleanup, since its rules count crime scene cleanup costs as a compensable loss. Insurance is usually checked first.
Local requirements, property ownership, lease conditions and policy language can determine who pays and arranges cleanup. Tenants and landlords should each contact the appropriate insurer.
Once police release the property, explain the event to your insurer. Check if coverage includes restoration, biohazard cleanup and damaged structural materials.
Remediation proceeds in a controlled sequence once the scene is released. The path of contamination, the materials that are still safe to save and applicable waste rules guide each step.
The authorized person identifies known affected areas, and technicians inspect nearby surfaces, floor edges, contents and possible travel paths.
The cleanup area is isolated from unaffected rooms. Suitable personal protective equipment and controls help cleanup technicians limit the movement of contamination outside the scene.
Before detailed cleaning and disinfection, visible bodily fluids and blood are gathered using a method appropriate for each surface.
The smallest practical sections of upholstery, subfloor, carpet, padding or drywall are removed when complete disinfection is not possible.
Each retained surface receives detailed scene cleaning, then an EPA-registered disinfectant stays wet for its full label contact time.
After source removal, filtered air and focused treatments can reduce odor affecting indoor air, materials that remain and adjoining areas.
Applicable rules guide the sealing, labeling and movement of contaminated waste, while available disposal documentation is kept.
Once work is complete, retained personal property is returned as arranged, and removed finishes are documented for restoration services.
Phone any hour. You speak with a homicide cleanup specialist who outlines the process and schedules a start time with you.
Serious health risks may remain in bodily fluids, blood and contaminated material out of sight. Those risks can still be present if the visible spot appears dry or limited.
Fluids may travel into carpet padding, joints, grout, walls and the subfloor. A surface mark may be cleaned while affected material underneath or behind it goes untreated.
Under applicable medical waste requirements, saturated porous items and worn protective equipment may need regulated packaging, disposal and transport.
For family and loved ones, the scene may be very distressing. With professional cleanup, your family can avoid touching personal property or entering the affected area.
Can you clean it yourself? For a minor fresh blood spot on solid material that does not absorb fluids, wear disposable gloves and apply an EPA-registered disinfectant throughout the contact time stated on its label. If blood reached carpet, wood, fabric, drywall or an area with unclear edges, keep away and seek professional cleanup.
Whether an item absorbed blood helps determine what remains. Porous material usually requires removal, while non-porous surfaces may stay when all exposed parts are reachable for disinfection.

Under the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1030, workers are subject to requirements covering training, exposure controls and protective equipment.
The selected disinfectant should have EPA registration for its intended purpose and stay on the material for the complete labeled contact time.
Florida calls it biomedical waste, and the term covers absorbent materials saturated with blood or body fluids. The Florida Department of Health's rules control packing, transport and treatment, so it cannot go in household trash.
Florida uses district medical examiners, with the Medical Examiners Commission under the Florida Department of Law Enforcement overseeing them. Cleanup starts after police or the medical examiner release the scene.
Homicide cleaning has no set schedule. Scene size, access, contamination depth, room count and the volume of material requiring removal all affect timing. The initial assessment allows for a more useful timeline.
The full homicide cleanup guide covers what is cleaned or removed, odor and air quality work, and the rules that apply in Florida and Duval County.
Read the full homicide cleanup guide
Local housing, population and access details can shape containment, access and cleanup planning.
If direct exposure occurs, the closest listed emergency option is Baptist Health Medical Center, Jacksonville, about 1.8 miles away, not the cleanup site.
With San Jose Forest, Englewood, and San Jose close by, accurate street and unit details help avoid confusion during a sensitive response.
The neighborhood setting makes privacy especially important when equipment must pass through sidewalks, lobbies, or other visible common areas.
During your call, ask whether cleanup is available in surrounding communities and ZIP codes.
Crime scene cleaning begins after police release and covers blood, odor and the affected property.
See crime scene cleanup
Walls, carpets, furnishings and hard floors receive blood cleanup, with safe disposal afterward.
See blood cleanup
Trauma scene cleanup after accidents, injuries and violent events.
See trauma scene cleanup
Cleaning a home after someone dies, including fluids, odor and affected belongings.
See death cleanup
Private, careful suicide cleanup so families do not have to face the scene.
See suicide cleanup
Cleanup after an undiscovered death includes odor control and the effects of days of decomposition.
See unattended death cleanup
Investigation residue, tissue and fingerprint powder are addressed along with forensic cleaning of blood.
See forensic cleaning
Death odor removal targets the source through ozone treatment, hydroxyl and air scrubbers.
See death odor removalDifferent property conditions can be present in each, although both qualify as death cleanup and trauma scene cleanup. Law enforcement retains control of the homicide location before release, and the property may have residue left by evidence work. Time between death and discovery means an unattended death may involve decomposition along with more extensive odor issues.
Published homicide cleanup cost data lists a violent crime scene at $2,500 to $9,000. Published figures put a smaller scene between $2,000 and $6,000, while the larger range runs from $3,000 to $10,000. The finished scope depends on police release, disposal needs, contamination depth, room count and scene size.
Cleanup technicians start by locating the affected area's boundaries before putting containment in place. Technicians wearing protective gear collect visible material, remove porous items that cannot be disinfected, clean remaining surfaces and apply an EPA-registered disinfectant for its label contact time. Next, technicians package the hazardous waste and inspect all completed work.
Coverage under a homeowners policy may extend to homicide scene cleanup, and death cleanup may also qualify, depending on the event, deductible, exclusions and exact policy terms. Contact the insurer before work begins. Before work starts, find out which documents are required and ask about biohazard cleanup, personal property, restoration and damaged materials.
Both authorities must clear the property first: law enforcement and the medical examiner. A relative, landlord, manager or owner with authority can then arrange cleanup. Biohazard remediation, blood cleanup, surface disinfection, odor treatment and hazardous waste removal may be completed by homicide cleaners. Police are responsible for investigating the scene, not performing the cleaning service.
DIY cleaning is not appropriate when blood reached carpet, wood, fabric, drywall, furniture or a hidden space. Bloodborne pathogens and hidden contamination may lead to serious health risks. Keep people and pets away, wait for scene release and arrange professional cleanup for any affected area whose full boundary is unclear.
You can request respectful, discreet homicide cleanup 24 hours a day, and crews use unmarked vehicles.